International entrants for the 2025 Melbourne Osaka Cup, a 5500 nautical mile double handed race from Melbourne to Osaka in Japan, are undergoing final preparations, among them are three Japanese entries and one from New Zealand.
Hajime Nitta and Sonosuke Noda have entered Nitta’s 1122Trekkee, sailing the Rogger42 from Yokohama to Bundaberg, Queensland, their qualifier for the race. They have since arrived in Sydney.
“I was a supporter of Japanese yachts that participated in this race around 30 years ago and have been very interested in it since then,” Nitta says.
He has owned and raced three yachts out of Japan, thinking that one day he would enter the Melbourne Osaka Cup. “The time has finally come for the dream to come true, because I met the best co-skipper. He has raced with me for 15 years and took the job of preparing 1122Trekkee ready to race,” the yachtsman says.
“I bought my Class 40 yacht last summer. It is designed for short-handed ocean races. Sonosuke Noda and I practiced on it while making modifications to the rigging. We found that Class 40 has no worries in short-handed ocean races.”
Like their fellow Japanese entries, the pair has done multiple ocean races out of Japan, like the Japan-Palau (1700nm) and Palau Okinawa (1200nm), where they encountered their fellow Japanese entrants for the Melbourne Osaka, as both Zero and Jazz Player crews also competed.
Nitta shares, “More than anything, I spent time trying to adjust my life rhythm to participate. I also took time explaining to my family how the race was important to my life, in order to gain their understanding. I am keenly aware it would not be possible without their cooperation.”
1122Trekkee will arrive in Melbourne early February, where the crew will continue preparing ahead of the start, as they have made time to enjoy Australian nature.
Nitta has a passion for nature and clean oceans, undertaking micro plastics research: “We collected and analysed micro plastics in the Palau race. We will do this also in the Melbourne Osaka.
“Micro plastics are killing fish and other sea life. It is a world problem and a most important thing. Sailors can help because there so many of us in the world.”
The other Japanese entries are the IMX-40, Zero and Jazz Player, a Bakewell-White Z39.
Katsuhiro Yamada and Masayuki Kobayashi sailed Zero from Hiroshima to Sandringham Yacht Club, arriving on 15 January. The two have been stuck into boat maintenance, food procurement, and sail repairs since, while looking forward to some rest.
Reflecting on their voyage, Yamada concluded with a smile: “The earth is so big and there were so many great things that happened along the way. We were blessed with great weather, even the windless equatorial region wasn’t an issue, so managed to sail most of the way.” They arrived nearly a week ahead of their original plan.
Meanwhile, Kayoko Nakano bought the Australian yacht, Jazz Player, in Tasmania. The boat, along with Nakano and co-skipper Mitsuo Nakanishi, are now in Melbourne.
Nakanishi did the 1995 Melbourne Osaka Cup on Shofuku. He says, “After experiencing various ocean races, I met Kayoko Nakano and empathised with her passion to compete, so decided to sail the race with her.”
Nakano began sailing in her late 20s and later learned that the yacht she sailed from Nishinomiya to Kyushu had been a Melbourne Osaka competitor.
“When I heard that, I thought, `I want to be in that race someday!’ The thing that appealed most was crossing the equator from the southern hemisphere to the northern hemisphere in a yacht race,” Nakano explains.
“I strongly feel this is the best yacht that connects Australia and Japan. If I succeed, I would like to convey the wonders of this ocean race to Japanese people who don’t know much about ocean races.”
Learning to Fly is a Kiwi J/99 launched in 2023 for Alan Paris, who co-opted Jon Sayer, a yacht designer/builder and Melbourne Osaka Cup veteran, to race with him.
Paris, an experienced ocean racer with 63,000 sea miles behind him (47,000 of them single-handed) explains of the partnership, “I was an entrant and finisher of the Around Alone 2002 in an Open 40 built by Jon Sayer. That’s how we met.”
When Paris was eight, his family moved to Bermuda where he’s spent a lifetime being in or around water. The recently turned 60 year-old splits his time between the two countries.
New Zealand born, Sayer moved to Mooloolaba in 1979, where he’s remained. This will be his fifth Melbourne Osaka: I did four on yachts I designed and built for customers. This is the first on one I haven’t designed or built,” he says. “But I’ve spent months on it since I picked it up off the ship, getting it ocean racing ready, because it’s really a regatta boat.
On his fifth race, Sayer says, “Usually when I start, I think, holy shit, what have I started? But I love Japan and the Japanese people , they are so hospitable, that’s why I do it.”
The 68-year-old has spent scant time sailing with Paris. “He arrives Sunday and we’re sailing to Melbourne on Wednesday. We’ll see if we can put up with each other,” he says humorously.
The Melbourne Osaka’s start, off Portsea, is pursuit style, with a starting window commencing on Sunday 2 March and ending on 30 March 2025. The main start is 16 March. Slower yachts are in the earlier start, while the faster models go last.
The Melbourne Osaka Cup is organised by the Melbourne Osaka Organising Authority in conjunction and with support from the Ocean Racing Club of Victoria, Sandringham Yacht Club and Osaka Hokko Yacht Club in Japan.
Australia’s longest ocean race, the Melbourne Osaka Cup is seeking a Naming Rights sponsor. For more information, please contact: George Shaw, phone: +61 411 464 802
Di Pearson/Melbourne Osaka Cup media
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